Joe Scarborough: Glenn Beck is following Jesus’s playbook in providing humanitarian aid to young illegals

posted at 7:21 pm on July 10, 2014 by Allahpundit

Via the Blaze, I’ll leave the WWJD debate on this one to the non-atheists. Do note, though, that it’s not just centrists like Morning Joe who are backing Beck up. Erick Erickson:

I am a citizen of the United States and I appreciate people are yearning to breathe free in America. But I am a citizen of the United States and want our laws enforced, our borders secured, and these illegal aliens — some not yearning to breathe free, but here with other motives — sent home.

I am also a citizen of the Kingdom of God. And I want these people, particularly the children, to know Christian charity and love and to go home understanding that we are willing for them to come — but to come legally and lawfully through secure borders.

What Glenn Beck is doing is the kind thing to do. He is using his own money, while calling on the government to enforce the law. Conservatives and Christians can both want American borders secured and our laws enforced. But we should also be willing to show personal and private grace, mercy, and charity to the many troubled souls who have come here as they have.

The Dallas judge who agreed to house 2,000 illegal children in the county said this to MSNBC:

“I think that people need to put their partisan politics aside. If you want to listen to a leader, go ask your faith leader what you should do in a situation where children are alone and feel abandoned and are terrified in overcrowded conditions; where there are thirty children in a glass holding cell, pressing their faces against the glass so they can see their brothers and sisters who are moved away from them; where there are babies crying for their mother while being changed by border patrol agents and it smells like body odor because the children aren’t bathed more than every few days. And ask yourself: what’s the right thing to do? What does your Bible tell you? What do the words on the Statue of Liberty tell you? What do your American values tell you? If we stop looking at these children as others and invaders and aliens and we look at them as children and as human beings, then we’ll know how to handle this humanitarian crisis.”

Beck’s critics are mad because, in theory, the more comfortable we make it for illegals to come, the more likely they are to make the trip. All markets respond to incentives and the illegal immigration market is no exception. How much incentive is he really adding, though, by sending soccer balls and candy bars or whatever to the border? The feds are providing most of the humanitarian relief while these kids are in BP custody and there’s no plausible presidential candidate from either party who’d change that. You could clone Ted Cruz, run him on both halves of the ticket, and the most draconian thing he’d end up doing would be to push Congress to bring back summary deportations by reversing the law that entitles kids to stay here while they’re awaiting a hearing. The fact that, right now, they can stay (“permiso”) is the core incentive. Beck may be increasing that incentive, but marginally. If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at the amnesty shills in the White House and Congress who refuse to change that law for political reasons. The thought that her kid can play with a Beck-brand soccer ball for a few hours after crossing the border before he’s put on a plane right back to Tegucigalpa isn’t going to encourage a mom in Honduras to hand her eight-year-old over to a coyote. Believing that he’ll have de facto amnesty if he makes it to Texas might.

A better knock on Beck, I think, is to say that he should be doing this in a low-key way. He has an enormous megaphone, and this week that megaphone’s being amplified by media segments like this one by admiring centrists and lefties. If that filters through to Mexican and Central American media, that rich Americans are mobilizing to help the kids coming across, it really might add some marginal extra incentive on whether to make the trip. Better to provide the aid under the radar so that it attracts less attention. But the answer to that, I guess, is that Beck’s aiming for more than just his own private donation here; he wants to inspire his listeners to be charitable too, and he wants it known for political purposes that even big-name righties who support stronger borders aren’t the heartless caricature that lefties make them out to be. That’s fine, but the price of that is the added incentive to cross the border. Let’s not kid ourselves.

Blowback

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Beck attacked conservatives, pranced about bragging what a unique and wonderful guy he is in comparison to the Scrooge-like conservatives, gave the Democrats free PR, and is intent on handing out teddy bears and other incentives for breaking the law.

Gosh its a real mystery why conservatives would have a problem with that?

Beck said “conservatives only look like they just want judgment, and the liberals only look at it as mercy. You cannot you cannot have a rule of law if it is nothing but mercy you cannot have justice without mercy.”

Oh, stop. No one is turning their back on “suffering people” because they don’t think it’s necessary to shower newly-arriving illegals with lollipops and teddy bears.

I think we should send a few of Beck’s soccer balls to the poor schmucks who continue to wait in line in their home country and want to immigrate legally. A little consolation prize while we hand out gift-baskets to everyone who cuts in front of them.

Yes they should be deported but until then, they should be taking care of.

BroncosRock on July 10, 2014 at 8:03 PM

The reality is very few will end up being deported and the American taxpayer will be helping to “take care of” a large percentage of border jumpers for the remainder of their lives, while still trying to provide for their own families. Not good enough?
Face it…we now have open borders and a welfare state and there will be no end to the “charity” we will be forced to provide.

Will our Vets get $3.7 Billion in aid? They’ve been here more than a week. Many dying. Pleading for help. Help that they were promised and actually earned. Sure. Here’s a new manager for you. Good luck…see you again in a few elections.

Disgusting. This bullcrap isn’t about Beck giving to charity. It’s about Beck doing it in a way that can be used against the #GOP by a vicious attack media looking for anti-Conservative propaganda.

Beck made it known that his views on illegals immigration has not changed and that he doesn’t think these people should stay. I am actually with Beck on this one. It is absolutely the right thing to do, what he is doing. And at the same time, you hound DC and your Representatives and tell them you do not support these people staying here and you are against amnesty.

What’s wrong with that? And he is also right in that we are always perceived as the judgmental ones. Why not do more to change that? Provide aide and food while at the same time standing for our beliefs. That is absolutely the right thing and even the Christian thing to do. Then again, there are a ton of people on our side that call them selves “Christian” or whatever else, but in no way live that way. So I guess Im not surprised at some of the backlash Glenn is getting. You’re proving liberals points by going after Beck for this.

‘Scuse me, but I can only take a few minutes of MSDNC but a PRO Glen Beck spot?
Pinch me, I’m dreaming right? MSDNC actually ran a favorable segment on the “evil” Glen Beck? All I can say is, “WOW!”
By the way, I agree with what Beck is doing, but how about he deliver food, water & plane tickets home instead of toys & teddy bears. And start with the infants & toddlers, they need their families at home more!

It will be interesting to see Beck on a cross…I doubt that he is following “Jesus’s playbook”, seeing as Jesus gave up his wordly goods, and each of his “events” was to proclaim God, and not to proclaim ratings…however, I heard you got a lot of inside information if you joined his website for a small monthly fee, and you got premium seats for a discount price to see Him preach to you.

So what you’re saying is that we’re proving liberal points by going after Beck….for proving liberal points?

Sounds like a no win situation. I guess we should just do what you say and open the border (and our wallets) so every third world toilet can flush their low skilled people our way. Yeah, that’s a winning strategy.

Beck is right in theory but wrong to announce it. We are to take care of the orphans and widows but not brag about it. The children should be returned to their families in their home countries. Our govt is not doing it’s job. No big surprise there. The Red Cross and church organizations are there but where is FEMA? Changing the humanitarian crisis to a situation must makes it less of an emergency.

go ask your faith leader what you should do in a situation
And ask yourself: what’s the right thing to do?

My faith leader would say “reunite them with their parents in their proper home.” The right thing would be to send them home.

What do the words on the Statue of Liberty tell you?

Totally irrelevant. It’s a poem.

What do your American values tell you?

To send them the heck home. Apparently you don’t really mean “American” values when you toss that phrase out there.

If we stop looking at these children as others and invaders and aliens and we look at them as children and as human beings, then we’ll know how to handle this humanitarian crisis.

Ye, they are children. And they are someone else’s children. Just like with anyone else’s children at my house, I’m sending them home at bedtime.

And I want these people, particularly the children, to know Christian charity and love and to go home….

Yep.

This is my problem with Beck’s “work”: it isn’t that he’s doing it publicly, it’s that he doesn’t go far enough. If you’re going to take them a lunch and a toy, why not take them a bus/airplane ticket?
“Look son, here’s $20, a soccer ball and a sack lunch; don’t kick the ball on the plane. Make sure you follow the stewardess’ directions, and I hope your mom will be there when you land. Go with God, child.”

There should be two messages in Texas, Shut the border, we can’t accept the 90,000 more unaccompanied minors that Jeh Johnson says are on their way, and second, that we can’t harm the young people, we need to shelter them in place and expedite and shorten their court appearance to one or two days, and put them on a plane. Beck, must have info that the kids are suffering more in the camps. We do not believe they should be released to alleviate this, like the Democrats do, we think they need to be attended to quickly and returned. They should not be “Lost somewhere in the U.S.” waiting for a court date, they have no intention of appearing for.

Therefore it is better that the children are treated well for a short time.

In the hearing this week, Tom Coburn said the best message to send to Central America is planes arriving on the ground returning their lost children.

Perry says they can stop the entry if they move the Border Patrol 40 miles so that these little feet do not set entry and require the standard of treatment that our government currently requires. If Jeh Johnson says they are on their way, then he is GUILTY as charged in the name of his boss, and they are both complicit if he lets them walk in.

I would stop the Death Trains at the Border, before they cross in. I am smarter than the President; and I hear that when a child skips a court appearance they are lost forever…but then how do they attend school? We know the towns are forced to do this? When the school gets the immunization record and it is from a FEMA camp, they can turn them in. “This nice Policeman will escort you to detention today.”

Our immigration system is not broken, the laws are not being enforced. That means, Eric Holder’s Justice Department is broken. He is doing a bad job, and he should be fired.

Funny that’s what Gov Mitt Romney did and he was made fun of. He believed he shouldn’t talk about all the service/charity things he did and he was mocked.
And believe me he has done great things in private.

Maybe Glenn is just trying to encourage people to do the same thing. Where are the trucks from msnbc/abc/cbs/Obama/nytimes/dems/all obozo’s rich friends/all those “lean forwards” at his fundraisers and all the rest of the left wing driving down there and helping the children?
Sorry if someone above has said the same thing, I came to the headline late & don’t have time to read it all.

Lincoln in his second inaugural address pointed out how we should reach out to the other side.
You are saying Lincoln is wrong on reaching out to the other side.

BroncosRock on July 10, 2014 at 8:19 PM

Broncos, I know about Lincoln, I have studied Lincoln, Glenn Beck is no Abe Lincoln.

He is an ego-maniacal former liberal who decided revive a failing radio career and made millions pretending to be a staunch conservative.

Whatever metal illness we are seeing unfold on the air these days has him feeling free to turn his back on those he profiteered from, while now trying to use people’s faith to try and manipulate them like some horrible televangelist of old.

Well according to Dana Loesch, Glenn Beck is beyond criticism because he’s doing it with his own money. Make of that what you will.

gryphon202 on July 10, 2014 at 8:25 PM

It’s called protecting her paycheck. If Beck said the world was ending on August 1st and you had to give your home and personal belongings to those crossing the border, she would parrot it and defend him; at least until the $$$$ runs out.

Odd…. I don’t remember these RoveDrones and KKKliven Bundy whackos attacking Glen Beck before he pointed out that hanging out with Bundy who was surrounding himself with militants was a bad idea… Weird

Broncos, I know about Lincoln, I have studied Lincoln, Glenn Beck is no Abe Lincoln.

He is an ego-maniacal former liberal who decided revive a failing radio career and made millions pretending to be a staunch conservative.

Whatever metal illness we are seeing unfold on the air these days has him feeling free to turn his back on those he profiteered from, while now trying to use people’s faith to try and manipulate them like some horrible televangelist of old.

Rockshine on July 11, 2014 at 12:09 PM

Say what you want about Beck, but back in 2007 he was screaming from the rafters on his show EVERY SINGLE DAY that the economy was about to go bust because of the real estate market’s troubles. Every day he implored his listeners to get ready for the big one, but no, people just kept right on going about their business until the hammer dropped. Beck is the real thing, and all he wants to do is help people, and we’re courting disaster attacking him for it. Yes, it makes it easier for more illegals to cross our borders, but that’s not the issue. The issue is taking care of these kids (and only the kids, by the way). You want to protect the border? Then take on Congress, not Beck!

I love How all these Bundicans(militant neocons) and the RoveBots(guys like Dire Straits, sick puppets) attack a man who uses private funds to help the less fortunate, and who promotes enforcing immigration laws. And they wonder why they are so quickly dismissed

Well according to Dana Loesch, Glenn Beck is beyond criticism because he’s doing it with his own money. Make of that what you will.

gryphon202 on July 10, 2014 at 8:25 PM

No, he is not using his own money, he is using the money from Mercury One which he begs for every day on his radio and TV shows. Ask Glenn why he fired Andrew Wilcow. I will tell you it is because Andrew would not go along with Beck’s teddy bear and soccer ball idea, and Andrew knew this will lead to an increased invasion at our borders.

I love How all these Bundicans(militant neocons) and the RoveBots(guys like Dire Straits, sick puppets) attack a man who uses private funds to help the less fortunate, and who promotes enforcing immigration laws. And they wonder why they are so quickly dismissed

Beck’s dead on and a year ahead of these Hot Air idiots. He’s done multiple documentaries suggesting the administration is destabilizing our economy with amnesty, but is wise enough to know how they will leverage pickup trucks full of white people blockading busses and shouting “Send them Home”. The administration can’t take the high ground if we are peaceful, kind and supportive of any children while calling for them to be sent home.

Amnesty proponents (both Democrat and Republican flavors) need you spitting mad. I suspect the motives and/or the intelligence of those still criticizing Beck’s initiative.